4 Clues Shonda Rhimes Is Ready to Take Over Primetime With Her Own Network

Industry buzz is pegging a huge announcement from Shonda Rhimes soon, and we think she may be positioning herself to become a TV mogul on par with Oprah.

Rhimes has created and/or branded some of the biggest shows on television in the last decade: Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away With Murder, etc. But there are some big signs that she’s no longer content to sell her life’s work off, and we think she may be planning to make Shondaland her very own OWN.

1. She is obviously working on something

She hasn’t dropped a show she created and wrote herself since the 2012 premiere of Scandal. This is highly unusual for Rhimes. “She’s definitely planning something,” one longtime producer told TVLine. “And my guess is it involves having ownership of her shows.”

2. She hired a slew of new people

Shondaland recently created a ton of new positions. A head of production (Sara Fischer), a director of branding (Sandie Bailey), a VP of marketing and communication (Kristen Andersen) and a VP of strategy and development (Chris DiIorio) are all on the payroll now.

3. She dropped a major hint on her website

Rhimes just created a viewer database on Shondaland.com and hinted that the site would soon host original content. It could be that she plans a lifestyle web destination to complement a new streaming service. “She’s taking her brand to the next level — beyond just one night of programming on ABC,” one longtime exec told TVLine.

4. She’ll be free to do it soon

Her ABC contract expires in a little over a year. As of May 2018, Rhimes will be free of the confines of ABC to create content for whomever she wants — including a platform of her own.

All signs point to Rhimes positioning herself as the next multiplatform media mogul! We’ll sign on, how about you?